A woman accused of bombarding doctors with dozens of calls has been made the subject of a provisional Anti-Social Behaviour Order.

The order imposes restrictions on her access to local health centres, except in an emergency.

Susan Hills, 42, is said to have made emergency phone calls to the out-of-hours service at Brotton Clinic without good reason. In one incident, she made five late-night calls to the service in just a few hours.

After complaining of chest pains on the fifth call, an ambulance was sent to her home in Park Lane, Guisborough, but paramedics could find nothing wrong with her.

The incidents reported by Langbaurgh PCT started last December and continued until last Thursday - when Miss Hills is alleged to have verbally abused practice manager at Skelton, Sheila Blaydon.

Mrs Taylor said: "Susan started shouting at Mrs Blaydon for no apparent reason.

"The extent of the shouting was such that it upset Mrs Blaydon but because there were other patients there she asked Susan to come into her room.

"The discussion resulted in Susan leaving the room but Mrs Blaydon was so distressed that when she left work she took with her the number for police because she was using public transport."

Miss Hills did not attend the court yesterday but her representative, Xanthe Craddock, said the order is "onerous" considering her client's potential mental state.

She said: "There is a full investigation which needs to be made into her medical state and I would ask whether it is just at this stage to impose an interim order?"

Making the order, Judge Walker said: "This decision has not been taken in a rash way but there is evidence of persistent behaviour including the intimidation of staff employed at the health centre."

The full case is expected to heard in March next year.

The provisional order bans Miss Hill from phoning her local health care services more than five times a day, attending Langbaurgh Primary Trust premises without prior appointment, unless for emergency treatment, and acting in any manner which is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to staff or patients at her local health care services. She must also leave the premises if asked to do so.

Speaking after the case, Kay Monaghan, spokesperson for Langbaurgh Primary Care Trust, said the action was taken "very reluctantly".

"While we don't want to restrict services for patients, we have a fundamental duty to protect the welfare and safety of our staff and patients," she said.